Exercise in Bites

Exercise in Bites

There has been a lot of talk lately about staying active and not sitting for prolonged periods of time. Supposedly, activity that raises the heart rate or works one or more muscles can be done throughout the day in smaller increments rather than in a one-time thirty to one-hour workout. Taking smaller exercise breaks every few hours may prevent the fatigue and boredom that often causes us to give up regular workouts and actually encourage more activity for the day. Even if this winds up being another one of those health beliefs touted for years and then abandoned as false, anything that makes being active an easier habit, as well as giving us a more agile body, has to be a good thing.

Strengthening the Core

Your core muscles—most consider these the abdominal muscles; I’m including the thighs and buttocks—help in bending, lifting, walking, pretty much any activity that requires movement. Strong cores help to prevent lower back pain and other problems caused when back muscles are aggravated by conditions such as arthritis and knee pain.

As with any exercise, start with less time or fewer repeats if you are new at exercising, more if you feel able and work up to the recommended amounts by adding five repeats or minutes every week or two. Varying exercises gives better results. Muscles get efficient at doing the same thing and stop working as hard. The goal is to move for ten to fifteen minutes every hour or two, and it doesn’t have to be formal exercises. March in place, dance, wash the floor, the dishes, etc.  

Formal Exercise Bites

One:  Fitness experts suggest walking for fifteen minutes after a meal to keep sugar levels from spiking in the blood. If a walk isn’t feasible or comfortable for you, this exercise will give the same benefit and exercise the core muscles. Sit on a chair, hold abdominal muscles in—I especially like a rocking chair—and extend one leg straight out, toes pointed, while bending the other knee, toes flexed up, and pulling that knee toward your chest to whatever degree is comfortable. Switch legs and work up to fifteen minutes while watching TV, listening to music, or reading, though holding a book steady may prove difficult.

Two:  Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and lower the upper body into a semi-squat. Keep the back straight, the butt at about a forty-five-degree angle from the knees. Hold arms bent to ninety degrees at either side of the body, hands in loose fists. Moving only at the waist, twist to the left and punch right arm straight out to the left side. Return to original position and twist to the right, punching straight out to the right. Repeat twenty times and work up to three sets of twenty with a few second of rest between each set. (Good for the oblique or side muscles of the torso.) You can vary this by punching upward.

Even with knee pain, most people can do squats, which work the thighs, butt and abdominal muscles and help with any knee problems. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hold in abdominal muscles and keeping back straight, bend knees and lower as though sitting. Do not go past ninety degrees. The torso will automatically bend forward a bit. Bring the arms forward to help keep your balance. Work up to twenty repeats.

Women especially tend to overlook the arms and upper back. Pushups work these as well as the core muscles and don’t have to be done on the floor. Stand at a counter, keep the body in a straight line, the hands shoulder-width apart on the counter, lean forward letting the elbows bend outward, and push back to the standing position. Work up to twenty repeats and standing an arm’s length away from the counter. Standing on the toes adds difficulty.  

You may need to add exercises as you get better at these and don’t take as much time. Be creative.